Window shutter



July 22, 1952 L. w. KOLTERMAN WINDOW SHUTTER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 l Rr mw wm A W mwwf .M

Filed Oct. 13, 1948 July 22, 1952 I l.. w. KOLTERMAN WINDOW SHUTTER 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 13. 1948 y Patented July 22, A1952 .5;

. WINDOW sHUT'rEvR. y v ,l i Lee vW. Kolterman, North KansasI City,Monassignor to FrederickW. Bopp andEdward Bopp, both of Kansas City,IMo.

Otto' Application October 13, 1948, Serial No. 54,219

This structure relates to new and useful im# provements in windowshutters or. blinds, and is an improvement over the window shuttercovered by co-pending application Serial No. 18,186, filed March 31,1948, which issued October 3, 1950, as Patent No. 2,524,372, in which Iam co-'applicant- The principal object of the present invention is theprovision of a window-shutter having a plurality of parallel,'vertically' disposed flexible slats," and improved 'and simplifiedmeanswhereby said slats maybe rotated about their respective-longitudinal axes to control the' passage of light "and airtherethrough. v

- Another object. is the provision of. means whereby said flexible slatsmay be adjustably twisted about their respective longitudinal axes,whereby said shutter may be simultaneously closed at one end andopenV atthe other. This permits better `light control bythe shutter, 'andpresents novel decorative eiects. .-1 Other objects are simplicity andeconomy'of construction, ease and vconvenience of operation,

and. adaptability for use wherever a .shutter for controlling light Aandair isneeded.

.. .With these objects inrview', aswell as 'rother objects which` willappear inthecourse ofthe specification, reference will be hadtothedrawing, wherein: j i .Figure 1 is a front .elevationalview of a windowshutter. embodyingthe present invention, mountedonthe inside of awindowframe. I

qFig. 2-is a sectional view'taken on line III of.,Fi`g. xl., y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III ofFig.,1. vl

Fig. 4 'is an enlargedand foreshortened Sectionalview taken on lineIV-IV of Fig'. 1. .l

' Fig. 5y is anenlarged and foreshortened 'plan view-@of the shutter.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line VI-VI oflig.'5.` 'v n' Fig. 7 is an enlargedv fragmentary section taken on lineVII-VII of Fig.' 5.

Fig.v 8 is a fragmentarysection taken ong'line VIII--VIIIofFig.6. l .L'v

Fig. 9 is Aa fragmentary section taken. on line IX-IX f Fig. 7'.' .'5 j

Fig. 10 is an enlargedv section taken'onf line X-XofFig.4. Fig. 11: isan enlarged fragmentary section taken on line X12- moi Fig. ,5. u

Like reference numerals vapply'.` to similar parts throughout theseveral vviews and the numeral 2 applies to a window frame'of theusualrtypaz; A pair of mountingv brackets 4 are mounted respec 1 claim.4101.1604176) tivelyatopposite sides of said window frame on thefinner-face Athereof and adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof. `Each ofsaid brackets comprises a vertically disposed rectangular sheet of metalhaving a flange B 'at its rearward edge adapted to be securedtowindowframe 2 by any suitable means such" as screws 8. A front panellllkextendsl horizontally across window vframe 2 between the outer endsof said upper and lower pairs of mounting brackets, and are attached tosaid'mounting brackets by corner fixtures l2.v

Said' cornerfixtures each comprise a sheetof metal having a portion I4disposed adjacent the outer surface of lthe associated mounting bracket,the upper andlower edge portions of portion I4 Y being rebent inwardlyto form channels I6 adapted tdengageslidably the upper and lower edgesof bracket 4,1and a portion i3 disposed adjacent the outer surfaceof'front panel I0 and having its upper and lower edge portions rebentinwardly to form channels 20 for engaging the upper and loweredges'blffretfpanel Il).V Thus said front panels' may( beA easilyremoved at any time by pulling outwardly Vthereon'to disengage fixturesVI 2 from mounti'n'gbrackets 4. An inwardly opening, horizontally`disposed channel 22 is welded or otherwise rigidlyv fixedV toI the innerlsurface of each mounting bracket 4.

.Referring principallyto the structure at the top of the Window, asshown in Figs. 4y to 9,y it Will be seen thatta horizontally disposed,substantially planar support bar 24 vextends between mounting brackets4, the endportions thereof being slidably disposedin channels 22. Saidsupport bar may be disengaged from said channels by sliding it forwardlyafter front panel l Uhasvbeen removed. A vlongitudinal*groove 26 isformed in the upper surface ofsupport bar 2,4 and extends the entirelength thereof.: A metallic Vbearing plate 28 substantially coextensivewith groove. 26 is fixed to the `support b ar withinsaidgroove by screws3D. A series of vertically disposed, horizontally spaced apart shafts 32arecarried for rotational and longitudinalvmovement by said bearingplate. All ofsaidfshafts` are identical, and may beeconomica11y.;stamped1from@sheet metal or'other suitablematerial. AsbestV shown in Fig. 6, each shaft comprises anaxialportion .34, ahorizontal trans.- verse arm 36 .disposedbeneath support bar 24, anda'connectingportion 38. Axial portion 34 ofthe shaftiisrectangular incross section, and passes rotatably throughv around hole 40 formedtherefor in support bar 24. Said shaft' is reducedin width .adjacent thenupper surface; of said support bar,- and?. extends rotatably'through around .wardly extended end of each shaft 32.

extends thereby preventing rotation of said pinion on saidY shaft. Oneof said pinions, fur'.

ther designated by the numeral 50 and disposed at the right end of theshutter as viewed 'in Fig. 5, is provided with an enlarged central hole52.. A polygonal tube 54 is disposed -:beneath sup'- port bar 24, beingadjacent and parallel to :shaft 32 associated with pinion 50, said vtubeis VVprovided with an upwardly projecting non-"circular extension 55which projects upwardly through support bar 24 and through hole 52 ofpinion 50, said hole being `so shaped asto Vprevent relative rotation.of shaft V32 and extension .56. A .helical compression spring .60 isdisposed Vabout'th'e upwardly extended portion of each shaft .'32,.bearing at itslower end against pinion 46 and at its upper vendagainsta pin `E2 .inserted transversely through, ysaid shaft .adjacent fitsupper. end. Spring ytil associated with pinion 50 also encircles `tubeextension Vlili, and pin BO y.passes through said kextensionesshowninFg. 7, thereby .s'ecuring .sa-id .tube member position. Springs60 servelto 'urge shafts 32 upwardly, -andto retain pinions 4,6 .againstbearing plate' 23 regardless of the .position `o'f"`said shafts.elongated rack 541s fsecuredslidably to 'the upper surface of bearing.plate 42.8 by means. of screws 6'6, which -extend through elongatedslo'ts 68 formed longitudinally 'infsaid rack. vSaid rack extendslongitudinally iof .plate as, and'lme'shes with 'au of pinions 4s,carriedloy saidplate. j

As shown in Figsj 'an'd4,.supp'ort bar 'V24 and the structure carriedthereby at the bottom of thewi-ridowfis substantially. identical `'withthat at the topof the window, 'except that it is .irivertedli Aplurality 'of 'fiexib'le slats `or strips 1n are i'iispo'se'd"l inpara'llel lrelavttion Vbetween "the upper and lower series 'of 'shafts32. 'Sai'strips maybe madeof fabric or other suitable Imaterial, andeach strip is looped at each endas at '121:0 engage 4the transverse-arms 3'6 of corre- Vspending shafts '32 -at the -top and bottom o'f thewindow. dSaidstrips are tensioned by `springs '50 and -aresifciently`widet'o 'overlap 'slightly when they are moved' to `substantiallyycoplanar relation, as shown in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig-.2.. 1f Strips -may be turned eachY about lits longitudinal axis -by means'ofa vertical rod'Hi having itsendportions disposed slidably :respectivelyin tubes 54 at the top and bottom of the-window, as -bes'tshownvinlFi'g; -'4. f Said rod -is polygonal in cross-sectionyand saidtubes arecorrespondingly shaped, Y'as Vshownin Fig. l'O,thereby-preventingrotation of saidlrodinisaid tu'b'e'si i`1Said rod issupportedby meansofva 'collar 'llcla'mped thereon '-by setscrew 18 andVadapted tolres'tion Y the Iupper 'end of lower '.tub'e 54.LR'odfMQmay'be manually.Y oscillated .by means Vof fa :handle 80 carriedon. 'said rod .intermediate `its ends. .Said handle may 'be 'pivoted'stos'aLid..rod .at 'B2-.so as tto vlie against said. shaft when notinusegasfshown in solid lines'in Fig. V1,'and may be .extendedeas showin 'indotted lines 'whenever itis desired 'to adjust the shutter'.- 1

jThus when rod 14 turnedftubes54and pinions' 5i) associated therewith'will :be turned,

' more, by'this-adjustmentboth'sides vof the .strips Y 40 4 and pinionswill drive rack 64 to turn pinions 48, thereby turning all of shafts 32simultaneously in the same direction. Strips l0 carried by said shaftsmay thereby be continuously adjusted from a closed, substantiallycoplanar position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to a full open position asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,

jwherein' the strips are "substantially 'normal to "theplaneof thewindow, thereby regulating the light and air passages between thestrips. The

.strips may be oscillated through substantially .180 degrees, thusexposing either side of said strips to the room. This offers decorativepossibilities, .since the strips may have opposite sides of lcontrastingcolors, or carry different designs,

vv`By lifting rod 14 to disengage it from lower tube 54, either theupper or lower ends of the strips r'nay be turned while leaving theopposite ends stationary. This causes each of strips 10 to .be twistedabout its tlongitudinal axis. When the desired vdegree of, twist .hasYbeen obtained, `rod :14 is .reinserted in fsleeve 54. In the drawing,rod 14 is shown hexagonal, thus permitting, six different angularrelationships between the upper and lower ends of the strips, n

However, it is lapparent thatajrod having any regular polygonalcross-section could be. used, thereby procuring adjustment'inanyincrements desired. -Sincefthe shutter in this mannerv may Y be closedatthebottom Yand `open atthetop, or vice versa, a greater degree ofcontrol-of the light passing therethrough .'is obtained.` Furthermore,

tlriisarrangement offers a wide variety of decorative opportunities.-The .twistedslats are pleasing in yappearancer and afnovel effect isv'obtained by the long-narrow triangi-ilarY light openings alternatedwithstripscf Yvarious colors. Further.-

may be exposed simultaneouslmandxif .said sides are of .contrastingcolors, an artistic appearance is-achieved. 1 f 1:. Y

While a specific embodiment 'ofiiny invention has been disclosed4 it isapparent that many minor changes of construction and operation could .bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention. v y What Iclaim is: A window shutter comprisinga .pair .of vvertica'llyspa'cedapart support .members adapted to be attached respectivelyadjacent fthe .upper and lower edges of a window frame, like series' ofvertically disposed shafts carried by each of said support members .foroscillatory and longitudinal movement, flexible strips each connecteda'tits opposite ends to Vcorresponding shafts of saidtlwo series of shafts,4a geared pinion carried yfor longitudinalinovement on the vextendedouter end of Yeach of said'shafts but restrained from rotation relativethereto, .resilent'means'whereby said upper and lower seriesL'of-'shafts are urged apart to tension said strip's :and .whereby thepinions carried by each .support-member .are held .in coplanar vrelation.against said 'support member regardless of the longitudinal movement ofsaidshafts, a rack carriedislidably by eaich'( of said support membersand meshing 'with .each of theY pinions carried `thereby, a polygonaltubu'lar member secured to one of said shafts' andd-isposedparallelithereto,.5a..flike tubular member secured to thecorresponding"-shaftin'the .other ofrsaid :series-of shafts,fagpolygonal .'rod: having its rend portions slidably fdisposed `insaidrtubular members, said rod beingdisengageable fromone of V`said tubularmembers lwhereby the tubular 5 members may be oscillated ndependenfoly,and Number manual means for oscillating said rod. 541,346 LEE W.KOLTERMAN. 550,559 1,622,245 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,165,669 The followingreferences are of record in the 2,173,275 le of this patent: UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,520,273 Number Name Date 2,524,372 235,151 Janssen Dec.7, 1880 2,524,373 486,220 Shure Nov. 15, 1892 6 Name Date Eckert June18, 1895 Joseph Nov. 26, 1895 Bliss Mar. 22, 1927 Wade July 11, 1939Houmere Sept. 19, 1939 Reede et al. Aug. 5, 1941 Houmere Mar. 6, 1945Bopp et al. Aug. 29, 1950 Bopp et al Oct. 3, 1950 Bopp et a1 Oct. 3,1950

